18 May 2008

Pomegranate Mediterranean Cuisine

Pomegranate is a casual Pan-Mediterranean eatery in the Gahanna/New Albany/Westerville vicinity. The food has Greek and Middle Eastern influences, meaning there are many vegetarian menu items, most of which are noted in the menu text (a trend which will continually be praised by yours truly).

The vegetarian eats include hummus, baba ganoush, kebabs, grape leaves, salads, soup, falafel and most other items consisting of some combination of lentils, olive oil, feta cheese and lemon juice made in a style that harkens the Mediterranean coastline. The interior is sharper than you would guess based upon the strip mall exterior. The beverage list is very routine, consisting of domestic macros and $6 glasses of wine from the U.S., Argentina, Australia and France.

The grape leaves, avocado egg rolls and Greek salad were all superb. The grape leaves were stuffed with rice and redolent of lemon juice. The avocado egg rolls were rooted in the Middle East with pit stops in Mexico and China. The salad came with a makeshift tzatziki that dressed dark greens, onions, banana peppers, cucumbers, kalamata olives and tomatoes.

The spanakopita was well made, although it was served slightly warmer than room temperature (i.e. slightly cooler than I prefer). This was the biggest shortcoming of the evening. That notwithstanding, the wide variety of veggie options on the menu make Pomegranate a great outpost for the herbivorous public.

Pomegranate is south of Dublin-Granville Road on North Hamilton. It's definitely worth the trip if the Mediterranean diet floats your boat.